A Story of Heroes (Version 1)
by Metatron's Prophet
Summary: One day, dozens of people from many different lands (such as Camelot) are ripped from their home worlds and taken to a small town called Storybrooke. At first, they have no memory of who they are, but they remember when a young boy unlocks a hidden book. His name is Merlin.
1. Chapter 1

It was an ordinary day in Storybrooke, California, until the curse was broken.

On that day, around dawn, Matt was looking for his adopted brother, Arthur. He had been out all night looking for him. His search lead him to the town library. Arthur's motorcycle was parked outside it, and the doors, which were supposed to be locked and boarded, were open. Matt could not remember a time when the library had ever been open. Also, he had never seen the hands of the clock tower above it move. Matt wore a blue shirt, a second blue shirt, and a brown hoodie. His hair was black and his eyes were green. Anyway, when Matt searched the library, he found Arthur sitting against a bookcase with a bottle of whiskey in his hand.

Arthur is possibly the most handsome boy in Storybrooke. He had golden hair, kind brown eyes, perfect white teeth, and strong muscles. His clothing consisted of a black leather jacket, jeans with holes, and hiking boots. The moment Matt saw him, he knew why Arthur was drunk. There was something he had tried to keep Arthur from learning, but failed to. Gwen, the girl he has been in love with for years, was now dating another guy.

"Hey, Arthur." Matt said as he tried to help him to his feet.

Bad idea. Arthur's weight proved to be too much for him. They fell against a bookcase. Many books fell to the floor.

"Ugh." Arthur groaned.

"I agree." Matt said.

He laid Arthur back on the floor, then started to pick up the books. That is when something strange happened; he grabbed a book and could not let go of it. The book seemed to be glued to his hand. It had a black leather cover, looked very old, and had a lock that kept it closed. Suddenly, Matt's chest started to hurt. A voice screamed in his head: _Open it! Open it! Open it!_

He choose to obey the voice. The screaming was so loud, how could he not? Luckily, Matt had his Junior Lock-Pit Kit. Whenever he needed to sneak into his house late at night, he would use it to get in. Now, he was using it to open a book. In about two minutes, he unlocked the book. At that exact moment, there was a burst of wind so strong, it knocked Matt to the ground.

As he fell, images flashed through his mind. These images were of knights, monsters, castles, and magic. All the things he had forgotten. Everything he had forgotten returned to him. His name was not Matt, it was Merlin. He remembered how he had lost his identity.

It happened when a purple cloud appeared in the sky over Camelot's capital. Parts of the cloud descended, then engulfed people. Merlin had tried to counter it with his magic, but it failed to have any effect. Even he was taken. When he awoke, all his memories had been replaced and he lived a new life. Now, he had returned to who he was.

"Merlin?" Arthur inquired when he stood up.

His expression had become one of confusion and joy. Merlin remembered that Arthur was not his adoptive brother, but his master and prince of Camelot. The memories of who he truly was must have returned to him as well.

"Wh-what happened?" Arthur managed to ask, despite his obvious shocked state.

"I don't know." Merlin said when he was on his feet. "I just don't know."

"Oh my God!" Arthur exclaimed. "Gwen!"

Merlin knew exactly what he meant. Like them, Gwen was from Camelot. Perhaps she, too, had regained her memories. In a matter of seconds, they were running out of the library. Their destination was the mayor's house where both they and Gwen lived. Along the way, Merlin noticed the people of Storybrooke also running out of their homes. They were probably doing exactly what he and Arthur were doing. Merlin realized that everyone here must have had their memories replaced. Now, they were hurrying to find their true loved ones. Though, something bothered Merlin. He had not seen most of them in Camelot. Maybe they were from other kingdoms?

Arthur and Merlin reached the mayor's house. Before they got to the door, Gaius opened it. Back in Camelot, Gaius was Merlin's uncle and Camelot's greatest physician. He had a very wrinkled face and white hair that reached his shoulders. In Storybrooke, he wore a lab coat, a red-checkered shirt, and brown shoes. Here, he was the mayor's housekeeper, who was also the mayor's oldest friend. He ran to them as fast as he could, and gave them both a hug.

"Merlin and Prince Arthur." Gaius said. "It is good to remember you both."

"Good to remember you too, Gaius." Arthur said with a smile.

"Arthur?" A voice spoke from the doorway.

There Gwen stood. Her dark-curly hair and dark eyes were the same as they were in Camelot. However, what she wore was completely different. She wore a red leather jacket, a black shirt, and jeans with holes. The Gwen of Storybrooke had had a sort of "bad girl" attitude.

Arthur froze. Fear began to consume him. What if she had not remembered the truth? What if she had but still retained her Storybrooke personality? What if she still wanted to date Leo (Gwen's boyfriend in Storybrooke)?!

She ran to and embraced Arthur. A smile formed on his face and tears poured from his eyes. He felt so happy. His happiness doubled when they kissed.

"It is good to see you, young warlock." A man said when he emerged from the house.

This man was the mayor of Storybrooke, and completely unfamiliar to Merlin. His eyes were golden, his body was muscular, his beard was gray, and his face was wrinkled. He wore a business suit and a green tie. His name in Storybrooke Henry Dragonfire.

"I'm sorry," Merlin said, "but who are you?"

"Think about it." He replied.

He called Merlin "young warlock" and his last name was Dragonfire. Merlin now had an idea, but it seemed impossible.

"Are you the Great Dragon?!" Merlin asked.

The man nodded.

In Camelot, there was a dragon (the last of the dragons) that gave Merlin help and advice sometimes. He had been huge, covered in scales, had claws, wings, and a tail. Now, here he was in a human form. Unbelieveable.

"How?!" Merlin asked, unable to think of anything else to ask.

"Let us discuss this inside." He replied.

Once inside, he gave them each a cup of coffee to help them cope with shock of what had happened. It was not much help. How could anything help you cope with learning your whole identity was replaced?

They were sitting at the dining table. The mayor's house had white wallpaper, and a few paintings of horses on the walls.

"Now, I believe you all have questions and I am the only one here with some answers." Henry Dragonfire said.

"What happened to us?" Merlin asked. "What happened to Camelot?"

"We were ripped from our realm and taken to this one." He replied. "I have no idea how long ago this was, or what has happened to Camelot since we left."

"When you say "realm", what do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"In the beginning of time, there was a single realm, however, as time went on, many more were born." He said. "They are divided by an extremely powerful force, that is almost impossible to sense, let alone break through."

Merlin just barely understood what Henry was talking about.

"If what you say is true, then what could have brought us here?" Gaius asked.

"And why?" Gwen added.

"I'm afraid I just don't know." Henry replied.

"Wait a minute," Merlin said. "If I remember correctly, there is an entire world outside this town. What if someone comes here? you guys remember those movies our false selves saw."

"Merlin is right." Arthur said. "We can not let anyone from the outside into this town."

"But I don't recall anyone ever coming to this town." Gwen said.

"That could very well have been the work of whatever brought us here." Gaius said. "Now that we are free of its spell, it may stop keeping strangers out."

"Then we'll have to find a way to keep people out." Merlin said.

"I don't think that will be a problem." Someone said.

A woman walked into the room. She had tan skin, long black hair, and wore a gray hoodie with sweatpants. They recognized her as the gym teacher at Storybrooke Elementary. Her name here was Maia Valentine. However, they had never seen her in Camelot.

"How did you get in here?" Arthur asked as he rose to his feet.

So did Merlin. They were both thinking the same thing. Until they learned more about who Maia was, they could not trust her. Arthur was mentally preparing for battle; scanning his surroundings, looking for potential weapons. Merlin thought of every incantation he could use. Both of them noticed Maia was sweaty and breathing heavy.

"You left the door unlocked, but more importantly, I was just at the town limits." She said.

"And?" Gaius inquired.

"You need to see it." Maia replied.

Merlin, Arthur and Gaius decided to go while Henry and Gwen stayed behind. Gwen had wanted to come, but Arthur insisted she remain in the house with the doors locked. He said there was still too much they did not know, so it was not safe. After a couple minutes, Arthur managed to get her to agree. Henry volunteered to stay behind and take care of her.

At the town limits, trees had grown right on top of the road. These trees were pure black, had no leaves, and felt like as hot as fire. Arthur put his hand on one, and suffered a minor burn. Also, the trees had grown so closely together, that nothing except an insect could possibly fit in-between them.

"Where did these come from?" Gaius asked.

"I don't know." Maia said. "But, I think whatever put us here doesn't want us to leave."

That made sense to the three of them. However, a question surfaced in their minds.

"Why did you go to the town limits?" Merlin asked. "Were you expecting something like this?"

After a long pause, she answered, "Yes".

"How!?" Arthur demanded. "Do you know who did this?!"

Like the rest of them, he was scared and confused. All of them wanted answers. Once the word "Yes" came out of Maia's mouth, they had hope for some explanations.

"It's a long story." Maia said.

"Well, you better start explaining!" Arthur shouted, letting out all his frustration. "Or else-"

Apparently, Maia did not like Arthur's tone. In an instant, she knocked him to the ground and put him in an armlock. Merlin was too shocked to think of the proper reaction. He had seen many female warriors in Camelot, but none that could defeat Arthur so effortlessly. Also, before the curse broke, Maia never acted violent or seemed to have any training. However, the person he was looking at was not Maia, but the person she truly was. Which, apparently, was a warrior.

"Look, I get that you are frustrated, but you have no right to take out those frustrations on me." Maia said. "Got it, princess?"

Merlin resisted the urge to laugh at the "princess" comment. He has never heard anyone have the guts to call Arthur that. Even he wanted to call him that many times. While Arthur was a prince, when he was not fighting monsters or assassins, he could be a real jerk.

At first, Arthur refused to reply. Then Maia started to twist his arm. He did his best not to show any pain.

"Okay, I got it." Arthur finally said. "And by the way, I'm a prince."

Maia hesitantly let go and offered to help him to his feet. Obviously, he declined.

"Well, now that you two have worked things out," Merlin said. "Maia, could you please tell us what you know about our situation?"

Maia smiled. "You're lucky your friend is polite."

Arthur rolled his eyes.

"First of all, my name isn't Maia." She said. "It's Mulan."

"Hi, I am Merlin."

"Arthur Pendragon, prince of Camelot."

"I am Gaius."  
"I've never heard of Camelot." Mulan said. "Perhaps, you and I come from different worlds."

"You could be right." Gaius said. "Where do you hail from?"

"A small empire in a vast land known as the Enchanted Forest." Mulan said.

"Ya, I've never heard of the 'Enchanted Forest' before in my life." Arthur said.

"So, whatever brought us here did not just take people from Camelot." Merlin said. "It could have taken anyone from any world."

"Yes." Mulan said. "Something similar happened in my land."

"Really?!" Merlin exclaimed.

Mulan nodded. "In my land, there was an evil queen. She cast a powerful curse that ripped most of people in my land to another one. Sometime later, I met two people from there. They said they were originally trapped in a town called Storybrooke."

"Exactly like us." Gaius said.

"They also told me that whenever someone tried to leave, they disappeared, never to be seen again." Mulan said.

"Could someone else from your land have cast the same curse a second time?" Merlin asked.

"I don't believe so." Mulan replied.

"Mulan!" Someone yelled.

A man was running towards them. Strangely, he was completely unfamiliar to Merlin and Arthur. They had never seen him in Storybrooke or Camelot. This man had combed-brown hair and pale skin. He wore hospital clothes. When he was close enough, they could see he had a scar around his throat. It seemed like someone had cut-off his head, then reattached it.

"I was just at the beach." He said. "Trees, exactly like these have risen from the water. So, we can't leave town that way."

"Who's this?" Merlin asked.

"My name is Jefferson." He said. "You don't know me because I've been locked in the asylum since we arrived. Whoever brought us here probably put me in there because I was able to retain my memories."

"How could you resist such a powerful force?" Gaius asked. "All of us were completely convinced of our fake identities."

"I've traveled to other worlds before." Jefferson replied. "But, before you ask, no, I can't open a portal."

"Why would we ask that?" Merlin inquired.

"Never mind." Jefferson asked quickly.

"Okay, what do we do now?" Arthur asked.

"We should try to find a way to get rid of these trees." Mulan said. "While they are around, we are prisoners in this town. I don't like the idea of being able to escape if whatever abducted us decides to harm us."

"I agree." Gaius said. "Merlin, perhaps you should try using magic to remove them."

"You has magic?" Mulan asked.

"I know, I don't look like the type, do I?" Merlin replied.

"Not at all." Mulan said. "But, hey, you probably look completely different. I bet you have an awesome robe, or staff, or something. Perhaps, even a small castle."

Arthur struggled to hold-in his laughter. In truth, Merlin looked pretty much the same in Camelot as he did in Storybrooke. And he certainly did not live in a castle. Back in Camelot, he was Arthur's serving boy. He spent all day washing his clothes, scrubbing his floor, and cleaning his armor. Even with magic, it was a tough job.

"Of course." Merlin said.

That surprised Arthur. Though it only lasted a second. He always disliked being humble. Since he and Arthur met, he had saved the whole of Camelot a dozen times, but has never been able to take credit for it. If he did, he would have to reveal his ability to use magic. Not a good idea, considering Arthur's father (king Uther) decreed that all those who practiced sorcery in Camelot were to be executed.

"Well, get to it." Arthur said.

"Yes sire." Merlin replied because that was what he always called Arthur when he was giving him an order.

While the other backed away, Merlin approached the trees. He thought of the perfect incantation.

"_Baal Sora te Noma!" _He chanted.

Nothing happened. Nor did anything happen when he tried for the second time. Or the third. Fourth. Fifth. Sixth. What was worse, he felt nothing. Whenever Merlin used magic, he felt like he was using the same strength a person uses to run. Magic takes energy, same as physical activity. However, after so many tries, he did not feel at all tired.

"Merlin," Gaius put his hand on Merlin's shoulder. "I think that's enough. Clearly, they are protected against magic."

"That's not it!" Merlin shouted in frustration. "My magic. It's gone."


	2. Chapter 2

Word of advice: if ever you discover a secret door, do not open it.

After a few more attempts of getting rid of, or even damaging the trees, they went back to the mayor's house. None of their attempts had had even the smallest effect. So, when they returned, they discussed what to do next. Merlin stood in a corner, silently, while they talked. Since learning he could not use magic, he had been very quiet. He felt so useless without his magic.

For a long time now, he had been a hero thanks to his magic. Without it, what good was he to the rest of the group. Mulan and Arthur were trained warriors. Gaius had his medical and magical knowledge. When he lived in Camelot, Merlin used his magic to save the entire kingdom time and time again. It was like an irreplaceable part of him. Without that part, what was he?

"Henry has gone into town to calm everyone." Arthur said. "Jefferson went with him, hoping to find someone. There has been a lot of confusion and panic."

"I think I will go join him." Mulan said. "Just in case people decide to get violet."

Once Mulan left, Gaius had an idea.

"Why have our memories returned?" Gaius inquired. "From what Mulan told us, the people from her land that were cursed did not remember for twenty-eight years. Even then, they would have never remembered if not for a saviour of sorts. So, perhaps something happened that allowed us to remember?"

"The book." Merlin said.

That was probably the first thing he had said in an hour.

"What?" Gaius said.

"Last night, I found a book in the library." Merlin said. "When I found it, I needed to open it. Seriously, I couldn't stop myself."

"Hmm. This could mean the library has some significance." Gaius said. "You three should go investigate it."

"You are not coming with us?" Gwen asked.

"No, I need to speak with Henry." Gaius said. "We need to know who the inhabitants of this town truly are. I think he and I should have a discussion about this."

"That is a good idea." Arthur said. "But there are no guarantees that people will tell you anything. Even if they do, who says they wouldn't lie."

"We try, at least." Gaius replied.

So, while he went to join Mulan and Henry. On the way there, they noticed everyone was headed towards city hall. Apparently, they were going there because Henry called a meeting there. He planned to assure everyone that they were going to be okay.

At the library, they could find nothing. Just a bunch of disorganized books. Though they did notice something odd. In the entire library, they could not find a single nonfiction book. The bookcase where they were supposed to be kept had nothing on it except dust.

Merlin just sat against a wall while the others searched. He had a seriously depressed look on his face. Arthur could not stand seeing him like that.

"Okay, get up, you lazy idiot." Arthur said.

"Huh?" Merlin replied.

"While we've been searching for answers, you have done nothing." Arthur said. "If that isn't laziness, I don't know what is."

"Look, I can't help." Merlin said. "Without my magic, I can't do anything."

"Now, you are proving that you are a huge idiot." Arthur said.

"It's true." Merlin replied. "If I don't have magic, I'm no hero."

That last sentence made Arthur mad. He yanked Merlin to his feet, then punched him in the face. At first, he was so stunned, he could not respond. After a long pause, he said, "What the hell was that for?!"

"For being so stupid!" Arthur said. "Your magic didn't make you a hero. We have met dozens of people and creatures with magic who chose to use it for evil. But not you. You are the one who decided to be a hero. You've saved so many lives, so many times and never gotten any credit for it. There were a number of easier paths you could have taken, but you didn't. Magic is not what made you a hero. It is just who you are, and who you always will be."

Merlin looked directly into Arthur's eyes as he spoke. He knew that Arthur believed every word he said. Maybe he was right. Even if he was not, he owed it to his friends to support them as best he could.

"Thanks, Arthur." He said with a smile.

"Guys, I believe I have found something." Gwen said.

She stood by the nonfiction section. When they were close enough, she pulled on the bookcase. Once it was turned sideways, they found a hidden hallway behind it. All along the hallway, there were doors. They were all wooden and the hallway was so long, they could not see the end. Which did not make sense, since the library was not that big. It must have been made by magic.

The three of them walked down the hallway. Even when the entrance was nearly out of sight, they could not see the end.

"Should we try opening a door?" Merlin asked.

"We have no idea what's on the other side." Arthur replied.

"Just a peek?" Merlin continued.

"Fine, but don't blame me if it's rigged with a trap." Arthur said.

Truthfully, Merlin knew it was a bad idea, but he had a reason to do this.

All he did was turn the knob and a flying monkey pushed it open with extreme force. It had purple-feathered wings, silver fur, and eyes as black as coal. In terms of size, it was as big as an adult male. The creature seemed uninterested in them. After it sniffed the air, the animal ran towards the entrance. As soon as it was out of the way, Merlin slammed the door shut. Then he and Arthur ran after the monkey. They made it out in time to see the winged monkey slam into the front doors. The doors hit the ground and broke apart.

Arthur tackled the creature before it could get up. Unfortunately, the animal was stronger than he thought. With little difficulty, it threw him off. He went flying into the window of the department store across the street. The window broke and the Arthur lost consciousness. Gwen tried to run to him, but the flying monkey blocked her path. It looked ready to sink its teeth into her, but it did not get a chance. This is because a red truck rammed it.

Merlin ran to Gwen to make sure she was okay. Despite being very shocked, she was alright. At the same time, two boys got out of the truck. Clearly they were twins. Easy to tell from their matching features. Both of them had blonde-cropped hair, green eyes, and were very muscular. It took Merlin a second to recognize them. They were Ethan and Chase Baytos. Also known as the star athletes of Storybrooke High. Chase wore a red hoodie and Ethan wore a black shirt and gray jacket. Ethan held a metal bat in his hand, while Chase had a pistol aimed at the flying monkey. Where Chase got a pistol, Merlin had no clue.

"Don't move, banana boy!" Ethan shouted at the winged beast.

It shrieked at him, then started to flap his wings. Before the animal got away, Chase fired three shots at it. The first two missed, but the third hit the creature's leg. Green blood dripped from the wound, leaving a trail as it flew away.

"Thank you." Merlin said. "How can I repay you?"

"You could start with how a servant of the Wicked Witch got here." Chase said in a serious tone.

A loud groan interrupted them. Arthur had regained consciousness and was limping towards them. He had cuts all over him and his shirt was covered with red stains.

"Arthur!" Gwen screamed as she ran to him.

"We need to get him to the hospital." Merlin said.

Ethan caught Arthur as he collapsed.

"Help me get him into the truck." He said.

On the way to the hospital, Merlin filled in the twins on where the monster came from. After he was finished talking, they had grim expressions on their faces.

"That door must be a portal to Oz." Chase said.

"_Oz!?_" Merlin inquired. "As in Oz the home of the Wizard of Oz? The same Oz that Dorothy rode a cyclone to?"

"Yes." Ethan replied. "It is more than just a story."

"So, do you think the Wicked Witch of the West is in Storybrooke?" Gwen asked.

"We know she is." Chase said. "Her skin might not be green here, but we can still recognize her in a heartbeat. At least, now that we remember our old lives."

"Who were you?" Merlin asked.

They both grinned. "We were generals of the Lollipop Guild. We served directly under Queen Dorothy."

"Dorothy's a queen?" Merlin inquired.

"Ya, a lot of the details about Oz in that book are wrong." Ethan said.

"We're here." Chase said as they pulled into the hospital parking lot.

They carried Arthur into the hospital. Once inside, Dr. Castle quickly examined him. Merlin noticed he had a new name tag with a new name on it. It read "Asclepius". For some reason, that name sent a red flag up in Merlin's mind. His chest tightened and he started to sweat. He could not put this feeling of panic out of his mind. Part of him was screaming that Dr. Asclepius was an enemy. However, that did not make sense. He and the doctor had met before and this had never happened. Anyway, Merlin did his best to ignore it, because someone needed to treat Arthur and this was the only hospital in town.

"Don't worry my boy." Asclepius said. "I'll heal you in just a second."

He placed his hand on Arthur's forehead and he seemed to relax. All of his cuts quickly began to heal. This was surprising to Merlin. He did not think Asclepius had magic. Even if he did, Merlin could not understand how he still had it. Merlin's magic was gone, so why was his still with him? Suddenly, he started to listen to the part of him that told him this guy was an enemy.

"Thank you." Gwen said. "Merlin, you should go with the twins, and look for that flying monkey and the Wicked Witch."

She gave Merlin a glance that said, _I'll watch him while Arthur's asleep_.

Seriously, Gwen was good at reading people without them saying a word. In an instant, she had noticed his suspicion of Asclepius.

"Okay." Merlin replied.

"If you are coming with us, you'll need a weapon." Chase said as he handed him a pistol.

"Won't you need this?" Merlin asked.

Chase pulled another pistol out of his pocket. "We also have some rifles in the truck."

"Where the heck did you get all these weapons?" Merlin asked.

"The sheriff's station." Ethan said.

"Ya, we went there to inform the sheriff that we have a witch problem, but we could not find him." Chase said. "So, we took all the weapons we could carry."

"Good idea." Merlin said. "Now, it is time to go witch hunting. But first, who is she?"

"The school principal," Ethan said. "Selena Miller."


	3. Chapter 3

Searching the principal's office was much more boring than Merlin thought it would be.

They could not find the Wicked Witch anywhere in town. So, they decided to search her office, looking for a clue to her whereabouts. In a hour, they had looked-through every file in that office. A few teachers protested, at least until Chase threatened them with a pistol. It seemed a little too forceful for Merlin, but he did not say something.

When he examined the contents of the desk, he discovered a black pearl necklace. All he did was touch it and he had a vision. In this vision, he saw a cave entrance. Walking into the cave was a woman wearing a black trench coat, high heels, and thin leather gloves. At first, he was seeing her from behind, then the image shifted. Now he was looking at her inside the cave. While the entrance may have been small, it lead to an enormous dome-shaped space. There were stone stairs circling the wall. And, just like the hallway in the library, there were dozens and dozens of wooden doors. There was a sphere in the center of the ceiling that provided light.

Suddenly, one of the doors opened. What came out sent a shiver down Merlin's spine. A cloud of pitch black smoke spilled out of the door and quickly covered everywhere in the domed chamber. The sphere in the ceiling descended into the woman's hand. Merlin could not get a look at her face. He was only seeing her from behind.

"I am here, Damon." The woman said. "Show yourself already. This whole scary smoke thing is kind of annoying me."

From the smoke, emerged a man wearing a black business suit, a red tie, several rings, polished black shoes and a brooch that resembled a torch. His hair was completely gray, his skin very pale, and his eyes a light blue. There was something odd about this man. Just looking at him, Merlin somehow knew for certain that he was not someone you wanted to anger.

"Hello, Selena." The man said. "What brings you here?"

"You summoned me here, didn't you, Damon?" Selena inquired.

"Oh, yes I did, but the reason behind the summons escapes me." Damon replied.

"Do you have any idea what happened to me?" Selena asked. "How did I end up under a curse just like the one my worthless little sister cast? Did you cast?"

"Me, cast the Dark Curse?!" Damon burst into laughter. "You should realize that is impossible. In order to cast that curse, I would have to crush the heart of the thing I love the most. And, in case you don't know me all that well, that is impossible, since I don't really love anyone. At least not in the normal sense."

"Also, this is not the Dark Curse." Damon continued. "It is different in terms of magical structure. I do find it rather amusing. I think I would like whoever has cast it."

"What do you mean, 'different in terms in of magical structure'?" Selena asked.

"This curse has built in responses, each one designed to be triggered by a different event." Damon explained. "Like, say if a certain person died, then the curse would begin some kind of reaction, which could be anything from a tree growing to the size of Rapunzel's tower or even the destruction of the entire town. Unfortunately, I don't know what triggers what. Only the person who made this curse could tell you that."

Merlin found this conversation rather disturbing. One wrong move by anyone, and the whole town could go up in flames. the worst part was how they did not know what the wrong moves were. This curse was going to be a pain figuring out.

"Tell me, Damon, these doors are all portal to other worlds correct?" Selena asked.

"Correct." Damon replied. "However, they are designed so that things can only enter this world. You can not use them to go back to Oz or the Enchanted Forest. Looks like you are trapped in this world for a while."

"Then I had better make myself feel at home." Selena said. "I will find the door to Oz and bring my armies here. This town will soon my own personal kingdom."

"Sounds like fun." Damon replied. "I will sit back and watch your little game. You don't have to worry about my tricks for a while. First, I want to see who everyone in this town is and where they com from. I want to know who I will be playing with."

"Very well, just leave me and my matters alone, alright?" Selena requested.

"No promises." Damon replied. "Now, see you later."

Suddenly, the man's body turned into a cloud of black smoke that merged with the rest of the smoke. Then the smoke poured out of the cave mouth, growing smaller. It traveled between the trees like a snake. At the same time, Merlin's vision began to fade. Next thing he knew, he was back in the school office and his clothes were wet. The Baytos brothers were standing over him. Chase held an empty metal bucket.

"Did you toss a bucket of water at me?!" Merlin asked.

"We were tired of waiting for you to come around." Ethan replied. "You have been unconscious for over a hour. That necklace you touched was a magic item known as Threat Foresight. It shows whoever touches it a vision of an approaching threat."

"What did you see?" Chase asked.

"Selena, I think." Merlin said. "I didn't see her face but based off what she said, I am sure it was the Wicked Witch. She was in a cave somewhere in the woods."

"What was she doing there?" Ethan asked.

"She was meeting with someone named Damon." Merlin replied. "Heard of him?"

The twins shook their heads simultaneously. This made Merlin wonder if Damon did not originate from Oz. Whoever he was, Merlin felt scared of him, and he has never even met the man in person. It was just a sort of instinct.

"What else did you learn?" Ethan asked.

"Selena plans to find a certain door that opens a portal to Oz." Merlin said.

"We need to find her now!" Chase replied. "In Oz, she has armies of flying monkeys and other witches. This town does not stand a chance against her forces."

"What do we do?" Merlin asked calmly. "Anyone have a plan?"

"Yes." Ethan replied. "However, we will have to split up. Brother, you go with Mulan and anyone willing into the woods to search for the witch. Merlin and I will guard the portals in the library. We already know that is where a portal to Oz lies."

"I will call Gwen, to see if Arthur can join us at the library." Merlin said.

"Alright," Chase replied. "Let us get to work and save this town."

Arthur awoke in the hospital with Gwen sleeping in a chair beside him. As usual, Arthur found her beautiful. It was clear that from the moment they arrived that she had never left his side. Arthur got out of bed and brushed his hand against her cheek.

That was when he noticed something strange. He was not in pain; all of his wounds had healed. There was not so much as a scratch on him. Given the injuries he had suffered, that could not have been possible. Unless, magic was used.

Suddenly, a sound echoed throughout the hospital. It sounded like the trunk of a tree snapping. Gwen did not wake because of the sound; she remained fast asleep. There was now a bad feeling in Arthur's gut. So, Arthur started moving through the hospital. As he walked around, he found that everyone was asleep. Every patient, doctor, and nurse. The more Arthur searched the worse his feeling got. If it were night, the place would seem scary to a normal person.

After a few minutes, Arthur heard footsteps. Carefully, Arthur looked around a corner. What he saw was not good. It was a black skeleton holding a sword in its right hand. The skeleton was moving from room to room, as if it were searching for something.

"Well, that is a problem." Doctor Asclepius, who had appeared beside Arthur, said.

Arthur was startled, but did not alert the skeleton to his presence.

"What are you doing here?" Arthur asked.

"Hiding from the Skeleton Soldiers in this hospital." Asclepius replied calmly. "You just saw one."

"Do you mean there are more of those things?" Arthur inquired.

"Yes, and if you wish to repay me for healing your wounds, please defeat them." Asclepius said. "They have come to drag me and anyone I have healed to the Underworld."

"You healed me!" Arthur replied.

"Oh right," Asclepius said. "Perhaps, I should have lead with they are here to kill us both? Well, I suppose it does not matter. Please use this to deal with them."

Asclepius handed Arthur a sword that had suddenly appeared in his hand. For a second, Arthur studied the sword. It was well polished with Greek letters carved into the blade.

"Just who exactly are you?" Arthur asked.

However, Asclepius had vanished into thin air. Arthur was about to search for the good doctor when he felt something on his shoulder. It felt like a hand made of ice. As Arthur turned around, he heard the skeleton say, in an emotionless voice, "Time to die!"


End file.
